Rummage sales in the
United States and
Canada as a rule do not charge any entrance fee, but sometimes charge a fee, or reserve for paid members or donors access to "preview sales" before the general public is admitted. Sometimes the sponsoring organization excludes donations of certain items, such as furniture or exercise equipment, or have a sale restricted to a single type of goods, such as
book sales or
sports-equipment sales. Some larger churches or charities have permanent
thrift stores where donated goods are offered either daily, weekly, or monthly, etc. The
Salvation Army and
Goodwill Industries are known for their daily-operated thrift stores, frequently located in donated space in major retail locations. Other thrift stores are either for-profit, or operated by corporations which are a charity in name only, as only a small fraction of profits are used charitably. In Canada and the U.S., the term "
flea market" refers to many commercial venues where informal sales are conducted, of both second-hand and new goods by different private sellers. Frequently the sellers pay a fee to participate. Churches and other groups also sponsor flea-markets where the organization collects seller fees, and may also sell food and have its own "white elephant" or "rummage" tables or booths. ==See also==